So I was very amazed by the Elektron Analog Heat, because it seems like a pretty good unit for worldizing digital instruments and DAW effects. After all, there's no way to truly emulate the behaviour and sound of real electronics. But then again, digital effects are convenient to use.

From my own listening and familiarity with Elektron gear I would say its probably pretty awesome--however for me I think FabFilter Saturn is a much cheaper alternative. A lot of the same features going on minus the analog (IMO there is a lot of good software that is 90% of the way to sounding like real analog. Saturn is one of them. The punters won't know the dif in the mix while they are off their tits and dancing. Unless you are making music for production snobs, don't worry about does it sound "analog" so much).

On the other hand a Thurmonic Culture Vulture will cost you a heck of a lot more and has a lot let options--for one, Overbridge! Which truly is a work of art in software programming and hardware integration. Not my field at all, but works so wonderfully even I can appreciate the elegance.

There isn't much out there like it, but I don't feel like it will add $700 of awesome to my setup.

I have some sense of how far one can "emulate" analoginess in software. However, there are certain feature that occurs mainly when analog electronics is driven to overdrive which are unreplicable in software, because they're non-linear or non-deterministic. Under the overdrive voltage, a lot may be simulated using DSP.

Then again, I'm precisely looking to add those non-linear features to some of my sounds. Mainly because I've come to appreciate them from other music I've listened to.

I was also thinking that a budget middle-ground solution would be to buy a single distortion unit that's reasonably clean or produces desired effects and use that in combination with DSP distortion, perhaps as the last unit in the chain. It could be used to merely "add" some edge to the digital distortions before it and might turn out to actually be "the best of the both worlds", because at least I generally find that layering stuff (whatever it is) produces always better and more interesting stuff than using e.g. effects merely as "single pass" units.

E.g. one doesn't need to buy some lush reverb unit to create lush reverbs. Merely stack three or more normal reverb units at different settings and you get huge reverbs.

Jomox make a cool looking filter box.
There is also a Waldorf one that's mono.
The bass station 2 has an audio input that sounds cool and can use the arp or the envelopes on it, but is also mono.
I never used the ah but have an octatrack and a4 and would venture to say that like everything else elektron the ah is greater than the sum of its parts.
Most people who have one say that they thought it wouldn't be much more than some sweet plugins can do, but in fact it turns out to really blow them away in person. Not advocating GAS or anything but I just think it might be easy to underestimate it. That's part of the reason I don't want to try one out tbh, can't justify buying one, but I am sure hearing one in the flesh would easily sway me!

As far as distortion goes, not only can you emulate it pretty well in digital domain, plugins do a lot of it better. FXPansion's Maul, Ohmicide, and iZotope Trash2 will cover just about any form of distortion you have ever wanted, that you could conceive of, and then some. For studio use, there really is not that much point to distortion units unless you are looking for something very specific - and Analog Heat itself is a multi-distortion-type deal, so I really do not really get who it is marketed towards.

I was also thinking that a budget middle-ground solution would be to buy a single distortion unit that's reasonably clean or produces desired effects and use that in combination with DSP distortion, perhaps as the last unit in the chain. It could be used to merely "add" some edge to the digital distortions before it and might turn out to actually be "the best of the both worlds", because at least I generally find that layering stuff (whatever it is) produces always better and more interesting stuff than using e.g. effects merely as "single pass" units.

E.g. one doesn't need to buy some lush reverb unit to create lush reverbs. Merely stack three or more normal reverb units at different settings and you get huge reverbs.

Well then a combo of things like line 6 m series and eventide h9 type pedals might do it for you, more options sonically but also as much or more money!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blingley

As far as distortion goes, not only can you emulate it pretty well in digital domain, plugins do a lot of it better. FXPansion's Maul, Ohmicide, and iZotope Trash2 will cover just about any form of distortion you have ever wanted, that you could conceive of, and then some. For studio use, there really is not that much point to distortion units unless you are looking for something very specific - and Analog Heat itself is a multi-distortion-type deal, so I really do not really get who it is marketed towards.

It could be fun live tho.

I know there is a thread ref. distortion plugins already but whatever, I personally like the sound of ohmicide but despise the interface! Everything is so small and confusing, I can't really say I would vouch for it, YMMV, but Saturn is good, NI supercharger GT and driver are good, and don't forget amp sims like guitar rig or amplitube, which for me have the easiest ui.

I <3 the Culture Vulture. Absolutely amazing piece of equipment and both better sounding and more flexible than anything else I've used. One day I'll buy one again and never want for outboard distortion.

For plugins Ohmicide is my go to. Like jbvd said the interface takes some figuring out, but there's just nothing else on the market that does what it does. I probably overuse it I like it so much. I've just gotten into using Saturn and it's pretty cool. I don't think it comes close to the flexibility of Ohmicide, but the split band distortion is unique and it's very good if you just need a stock rock or dirty sound.

I'm afraid I don't have any experience with the Heat. Elektron always reminds me of Orange amps - however great they sound they're kinda one trick ponies and completely overpriced. I know they have their adherents but I've never been one.

I have and love the Analog Heat. I don't use it for distortion, albeit it does do a decent job at that. I prefer to run anything that just needs some fattening up through it. On its lower saturation setting it sounds smooth and pleasing and you can dial in the grit. The unexpected quality is the filter and it's EXTREME resonance. Used on an LPF or BP you can do all sorts of cool things. The modulation sources are Elektron style and really neat. With the right settings this unit can give you some compression effects.

For OTB and mayhem of all sorts it's great.

That said, FabFilter Saturn would be my go-to solution for ITB (got LFO and Env, too. Sounds just as awesome!).

The Analog craze is really a bit of a make belief thing. I can get the same sound ITB using Serum, Omnisphere, and Bazille/Diva. The turning buttons thing... now, that you just don't get. Sonically alone, Id been better advised to buy a tricked out beast of a MAC Pro. Would've been cheaper. Half the price half the fun ;-)

If you're looking to route a digital ITB signal to the AH for "that analog sound", I'd suggest to take good long hard look at why you would even want to do that. My rig started with "just a TB-3". Then one synth led to another and I've got three tables full of shit and like 20 lbs of wires. It's madness.

The Analog craze is really a bit of a make belief thing. I can get the same sound ITB using Serum, Omnisphere, and Bazille/Diva. The turning buttons thing... now, that you just don't get. Sonically alone, Id been better advised to buy a tricked out beast of a MAC Pro. Would've been cheaper. Half the price half the fun ;-)

If you're looking to route a digital ITB signal to the AH for "that analog sound", I'd suggest to take good long hard look at why you would even want to do that. My rig started with "just a TB-3". Then one synth led to another and I've got three tables full of shit and like 20 lbs of wires. It's madness.

I'm looking for analog for the things that digital just cannot do. They are things that are for example complicately frequency or source material dependent (digital effects I've found rarely have this kind of "program dependentness", mainly because it would be pretty complicated to model). Although I also believe that not all analog electronics exhibit that kind of behaviour, because of course in electronics, it would be desired to have minimal "fluctuation"/"jitter" and that kind of stuff, which would be considered faults. Then again, some are really after those faults, when they want analog sound gear.

I tried the Saturn. I find that the distortions it gives sound pretty tamed, but it seems to be very good for saturation. For making huge compressed sounds and/or very loud and dense sounds.

By tame I mean that it sounds as if there's a peak compressor on every algorithm and it's not allowed to "overdrive" at all. Thus all distortions from it seem to be pretty clean.

It could help if one added a bit of noise to the mix going into the distortion. Or if the distortion could create noise by itself. Of course some noise is creater by the distortion algo as well, but I find it a bit tame, particularly in high frequencies.

I tried the Saturn. I find that the distortions it gives sound pretty tamed, but it seems to be very good for saturation. For making huge compressed sounds and/or very loud and dense sounds.

By tame I mean that it sounds as if there's a peak compressor on every algorithm and it's not allowed to "overdrive" at all. Thus all distortions from it seem to be pretty clean.

It could help if one added a bit of noise to the mix going into the distortion. Or if the distortion could create noise by itself. Of course some noise is creater by the distortion algo as well, but I find it a bit tame, particularly in high frequencies.

I'm looking for analog for the things that digital just cannot do. They are things that are for example complicately frequency or source material dependent (digital effects I've found rarely have this kind of "program dependentness", mainly because it would be pretty complicated to model). Although I also believe that not all analog electronics exhibit that kind of behaviour, because of course in electronics, it would be desired to have minimal "fluctuation"/"jitter" and that kind of stuff, which would be considered faults. Then again, some are really after those faults, when they want analog sound gear.

Yeah, no, that's the analog myth. Might have been true a long time ago cuz parts were shit, now the myth itself is shit. No one can tell the difference in any sound source you are using in a mix.
To quote flava flave "yo, don't believe the hype!"

Edit: not saying the heat isn't probably great at what it does, it just isn't great cuz it's analog, it's great cuz a lot of things come together perfectly to make it a great unit.

Honestly dude. Like full on serious. Unless you are making music for production snobs, non-linear analog blah blah blah blah doesn't fucking matter.

When digital stuff came out people threw analog gear in the garbage. We've fetishized analog gear to a rediculous point.

That being said I own as many pieces of analog gear as digital--its more about if you need/want "that sound" regardless of analog or digital. Take that out of the equation. Which tool gives you what you want. Buy that one. Personally, as cool as fuck as it is...the Analog Heat is not going to add $700 worth of awesome to what I do : )

Honestly. I'm a bit blasted so sorry if I'm coming off as a dick. The party for the long weekend started about two days ago if I'm honest, lol...

if you have a Eurorack modular then Intellijel JellySquasher looks like a good alternative it has 3 analog circuits Tube/Tape/XFRM (modifies the transformer feedback circuit)
all 3 circuits can be used in any combination so plenty of scope for character.